Our facility & services

Advocate Children's Hospital - Oak Lawn is a premier provider of treatment for children throughout the Midwest. Located on the Advocate Christ Medical Center campus, it is home to more than 175 physicians who provide general pediatric care, as well as specialty care, to more than 5,000 inpatient infants and children each year. This mix of general pediatric and subspecialty patients provides residents with a superior educational environment, offering an advantage over most institutions.

In addition to providing general and subspecialized pediatric care, the department also offers a number of unique and world-renowned programs. Established in 1987 the Heart Institute for Children is a center of clinical and academic excellence that provides advanced medical and surgical care for newborns, infants, children and young adults with complex heart disease. Nationally and internationally known leaders in pediatric cardiology, cardiac surgery and cardiac pathology direct the Heart Institute’s clinical and research programs. The related Maurice Lev Congenital Heart and Conduction System Center focuses on cardiac anatomy and cardiac pathology. It is world-acclaimed in the fields of cardiac surgery, arrhythmias and sudden death.

The pediatric critical care network links surrounding community hospitals with components of the critical care division of the department including:

• The Level IV Perinatal Center (highest level)
• The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
• Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)

The pediatric oncology program is among the busiest providers of cancer care to the children of Chicagoland. The program expanded its facilities in 2004 to include The Keyser Family Oncology Clinic which provides a well-rounded care home for our families with hematology and oncology needs.

As a Level IV Co-Perinatal Center, Christ Medical Center treats high-risk pregnancies and neonates with life-threatening illnesses and offers:

• Neonatal and maternal transports
• The fetal diagnostic center
• The center for genetics and genetic counseling
• The high-risk nursery
• Fetal surgery

The Department of Emergency Medicine at Advocate Christ Medical Center is designated as a Level I trauma center by the state of Illinois. It is one of six Level I trauma centers in the Chicago area and the one of two on Chicago's South Side. The medical center sees nearly 78,000 patients through the emergency department a year. Christ Medical Center has a separate Pediatric Emergency Center for pediatric patients requiring advanced care. This center is open 24 hours, with 20 Pediatric Beds, focused on Kid Friendly Care with Pediatric Trained Nurses, Pediatric Respiratory Therapists, and Child Life Specialists.

In addition to this wide range of services, the following pediatric subspecialties and special services are available:

The Department of Pediatrics at Christ Medical Center participates in teaching more than 150 medical students, 100 residents (pediatric and other specialties) and 10 fellows each year. Students, residents and fellows from other institutions frequently choose electives in various pediatric subspecialties. The program has academic affiliations with three local medical schools.